The 3 major developments in compostable packaging in light of the EU's SUP ban

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Update time : 2025-06-26

EU SUP Ban Update: 2025 New Regulations Explained

In June 2024, the European Union officially adopted the revision of the SUP (single-use plastics) ban, and the new regulations will be fully implemented on January 1, 2025. Compared to the 2019 version, there are three key changes in this update:

Expanding the scope of the plastic ban: new categories such as plastic-coated paper products and ultra-thin plastic bags (<15 micron) have been added

Upgraded certification requirements: compostable packaging must be certified for industrial composting by EN13432 or for home composting by OK Compost HOME

Heavier penalties: maximum fines for non-compliant companies have risen to 4% of their annual turnover ( Previously 2%)

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Direction 1: Material innovation - from PLA to third-generation bio-based materials

Current pain points

Traditional PLA materials: degradation requires industrial composting conditions (58-70°C), almost no decomposition in the home environment

PBAT blends: cost is 35-50% higher than ordinary plastics

Breakthrough solutions

PHA-based composites (polyhydroxy fatty acid ester)

Representative company: Novamont, Denmark

Advantage: seawater/soil/home composting degradation in all scenarios

Latest progress: mass production cost down to €3.2/kg in 2024

Nano-cellulose reinforcing material

Technology highlight: tensile strength up to 50MPa (close to HDPE)

Application case: Nestle coffee capsule (full switchover in 2025)

Table: Comparison of Mainstream Bio-based Materials in 2024 Comparison of material properties

Material type Degradation conditions Cost (€/kg) Heat distortion temperature

PLA Industrial composting 2.8 55°C

PHA Home composting 3.2 120°C

Nanocellulose Natural degradation 4.1 95°C

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Direction 2: Certification system reconstruction - from single standard to scenario-based certification

Certification challenges under the new regulation

Extended test cycle: EN13432 certification now requires 180 days of degradation testing (formerly 90 days)

New testing items: microplastic residues become mandatory (limit value <0.1%)

Corporate response strategy

Dual certification layout (industrial +) (home composting)

Success story: Germany's Bio4Pack's food containers also passed:

OK Compost INDUSTRIAL

TÜV Austria HOME standard

Blockchain traceability:

Spanish brand Sphere develops a digital passport for packaging

Scanning to see the whole lifecycle of raw material sources, degradation conditions and other data

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Direction 3: Business model innovation - from product to service

Subscription-based composting solution

France Loop model: pay €15/month to enjoy compostable packaging recycling service

User data: 83% repurchase rate, 40% increase in customer unit price

Carbon credit trading system

Each ton of compostable packaging generates 0.8 carbon credits

Current market price: €85 per Points (ICE data)

Case study: Unilever offsets 12% of transportation emissions with packaging carbon points.

Opportunities for Chinese companies to go overseas

Three Steps to EU Market Access

Certification Preparation (6-8 months):

Mandatory: EN13432 + REACH SVHC testing

Recommendation: Apply for EU Ecolabel

Channel Building:

Focus on German Packaging Distributors (e.g. Pacovis)

E-commerce Platforms: Amazon's "Climate Pledge Friendly" Zone

Compliance Labeling New requirement: must label "industrial composting" or "home composting" Classification guidelines

Prohibited terminology: vague expressions such as "100% biodegradable"

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Trend forecasts for 2025

Material side: PHA production capacity to grow by 300% (mainly due to investment from Chinese companies)

Policy side: UK proposes to introduce "SUP 2.0" bill that is tougher than the EU's

Consumer side: compostable packaging premiums acceptance to be 25% (compared to 12% in 2023) (12% by 2023)

Suggestions for action

For manufacturers

Start EN13432 certification immediately (average queue currently 4 months)

Develop "EU customized" product line (minimum order quantity of 20 tons recommended)

For cross-border e-commerce

Focus on:

Home composting-certified products (searches up 210% year-on-year)

Carbon Footprint-labeled products (37% higher conversion rate)

Risk aversion:

Avoid off-label terms such as "biodegradable"

Ensure that Individual test reports for each SKU

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The 3 major developments in compostable packaging in light of the EU's SUP ban

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